reach. love. plant. impact. send.
Dear Highlands Family, I truly believe that the local church is the hope of the world. That belief motivates Church of the Highlands to do everything we can to show the love of Jesus to those who are hurting and to those who have never heard. In fact, we call our outreach and missions efforts, Points of Passion because we are so passionate about spreading the love of Christ across our communities and into our world. Definition of Passion: An intensity of spirit (inward) that ignites action (outward) that ignores the insurmountable and achieves the improbable. For the past eight years we have developed an annual report of all that we have accomplished as a church in the areas of outreach and missions for that year. It always amazes me to see how much we ve been able to accomplish from yearto-year. God has been so faithful to us and you have been so generous. And for that, you deserve a heart-felt thank you. Yet there is so much more to do. That is why this year our report shows you the vision and opportunities that God has given us for 2010 and beyond. This brochure shows you our vision in four areas our church, our cities, our nation, and our world. You ll also see opportunities for you to participate in this vision through short-term missions trips all around the world. Look through this brochure and dream! And as always, all I ask you to do is seek God. I know that He will show you what part you can play in making this dream become a reality. With America and the entire world facing dire economic times and millions of hurting people needing immediate help, this is the Church s time to shine. I am so excited to take this journey with you. With you in the Cause that counts, Pastor Chris
OUR CHURCH VISION I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it. Matthew 16:18 (NIV) YOUTH WING Since we moved into the Grants Mill facility two years ago, our youth group has more than quadrupled in size. We believe that now is the time to begin Phase 2 in the building process and construct a youth auditorium. Plans are complete for a 1000-seat youth auditorium with state-of-the-art sound, lighting, and video, and a bookstore offering Christ-centered resources. This space will serve four functions: A place where the mission and vision of Switch (our Junior High and High School ministry) can continue to reach more students than ever before. A place for our growing college and twenty-somethings ministry to meet. A place for people to meet on Sundays as an overflow auditorium. A place to baptize at Grants Mill. Estimated Cost: $4.5 million CAMPUS EXPANSION Riverchase Campus Expansion Riverchase With only 270 seats for its quickly expanding 1000 plus weekly attendance, an expansion is needed to accommodate not only weekly attendees, but also the attendees to come. Plans for the Riverchase campus expansion include a 1000-seat main auditorium, larger parking lot accommodating 600 spaces, and additional road access. No space will be wasted as the former main building is set to transition to the Highlands Kids area, with the current children s area making way for the preschool area. Estimated Cost: $4.3 million Auburn At the current growth rate, our Auburn Campus will need a new facility by the fall of 2011. Construction to renovate a new and larger auditorium will need to begin in the fall of 2010. Estimated Cost: $2.5 million Tuscaloosa Our Tuscaloosa Campus on the campus of the University of Alabama is booming. Plans are in the works to provide an office complex which will accommodate meeting rooms that are necessary for leadership training, band rehearsals, counseling, week-day meetings, etc. Estimated Cost: $90,000 HIGHLANDS CHAPEL The 500-seat Highlands Chapel is a place where people can join together for prayer, weddings, baptisms, and funerals. The Chapel will also provide an additional venue for Sunday services. This will give people an opportunity to experience the same Highlands message in a more traditional atmosphere. Estimated Cost: $4.5 million
OUR LOCAL VISION Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight... James 1:27 (The Message) THE BIRMINGHAM DREAM CENTER The outreach epicenter of Church of the Highlands to the surrounding city of Birmingham, the Dream Center serves as an extension of Christ s love to others. The Dream Center s social services and outreach programs are designed to meet both spiritual and physical needs. From making sure community members have a good pair of shoes to repairing homes to feeding the hungry, the possibilities for changed lives are endless. Dream Center Strategic Giveaways - $120,000 Fund a year s worth of purchasing, shipping, and warehousing a year s worth of gifts, food, and supplies for people in need. Dream Center Warehouse - $30,000 Have a repository for donated materials for the increasing number of homes we are helping our neighbors in Woodlawn restore. Woodlawn Summer Camp - $20,000 Provide an amazing three-week Christian alternative for the children of Woodlawn. Dream Center Mobile Ministry Unit - $30,000 A trailer, sound system, grill, and tent would enable us to bring the festivities into the neighborhood. Christ Health Center Improvements State-of-the-art digital x-ray suite - $50,000; Employ a full-time Spanish- English translator - $40,000; Modernize six dental chairs - $60,000; Bring lab services in-house - $50,000 Our goal is to open a Highlands Campus at the Dream Center for Sunday services. Church of the Highlands also has a vision to open Dream Centers in Auburn and Tuscaloosa.
OUR NATIONAL VISION OUR INTERNATIONAL VISION Whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him. 1 Corinthians 9:22 (LB) ARC (Association of Related Churches) ARC is all about planting life-giving churches that grow and reproduce and plant life-giving churches themselves. ARC has planted over 130 life-giving local churches in America. Over 250 existing churches have teamed up with the ARC to share resources, develop life-long ministry relationships and help plant more churches. The ARC has become a powerful resource for local pastors wanting to break inertia and get new ideas as well as new pastors wanting to get the best strategies for planting their churches. With ARC s current 2010 budget projections, 55 churches can be planted. For an additional $1.4 million, another 45 churches could be planted to meet the goal of 75-100 churches in 2010. In 2009, ARC planted 55 churches with an average opening day attendance of 240 people. The impact of planting 75-100 churches in 2010 would be reaching 18,000-24,000 people. Train 1000 church planters in 2010. Jesus said to His followers, Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone. Mark 16:15 (NCV) EQUIP The EQUIP organization believes that every person is born with the potential to influence others. From church leaders to government leaders, educators to marketplace leaders, we are training a global vanguard of men and women who are stepping forward to effectively confront the greatest needs on our planet. With the completion of the Great Commission as their priority, these devoted leaders follow the leadership development model demonstrated by Jesus of Nazareth during His public ministry, Jesus spent the greatest amount of His time training a group of leaders to impact the world. Conferences in 2010: Over 100 conferences will take place in Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America throughout 2010. Our goal is to establish seven regional leadership centers and, over the next five years, conduct a minimum of 75 in-depth, advanced, weeklong leadership institutes for selected leaders to become a vanguard of change agents in their nations. Each $1 given will provide a leadership notebook to an international leader $75 will help cover conference costs to train a leader over a 3 year period ($25 per year) $750 will help open up training in the 75 remaining countries as well as continue training in the rest of the world
OUR INTERNATIONAL VISION NETWORK FOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES Our partnership with NSI is critical to our international effectiveness. NSI has their finger on the pulse of the unreached people groups of the world like few other organizations. They identify, launch, and coordinate global strategic initiatives in places that are hard to reach and are ripe for harvest. 2010 Projects: Iran Evangelism and Church Planting NSI is engaged in a three-pronged strategy to mobilize, train, and release a new wave of strategic missionaries into Iran. Our strategy is to plant new churches in this influential nation, now at a tipping point in spiritual history. Estimated Cost: $25,800 China University Students NSI is reaching and discipling the next generation of Chinese leaders, working officially in the top 100 universities throughout China. Our biblically based programs teach integrity and servant leadership to Chinese students while offering the full message of salvation. Estimated Cost: $52,200 Northern Africa Evangelism and Church Planting We are working with the Inezgane International Language Center in Morocco, a strategic Muslim nation which is quickly becoming globalized with English as the most popular language to study. Our goal is to expand the Language Center in 2010 to reach 250 Muslim students per quarter with the Gospel, and accommodate long and short-term missions teams. Estimated Cost: $10,400 Badakshan, Afghanistan Roughly two million people reside in this remote and mountainous region of the world and there were no Christian believers when our team first arrived a year ago. Now five people have given their lives to Jesus and others are very close. The plan is to start a guesthouse, adventure tourism business, and a women s center in the next five years. Estimated Cost: $99,031
Jesus said to His followers, Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone. Mark 16:15 (NCV) 2010 SHORT TERM MISSIONS TRIPS We encourage every member of Highlands to go on at least one shortterm missions trip in their lifetime. Few things will give you more vision and passion than seeing it yourself. More detailed information about our missions trips in 2010 can be found on our website at www.churchofthehighlands.com. Caribbean Mission Where: Dominican Republic When: March 13-20, 2010 Who: Family missions trip Approx. Cost: $1,600 San Cristobal Where: Guatemala When: June 13-20, 2010 Who: Family missions trip Approx. Cost: $1,300 San Cristobal Where: Guatemala When: June 20-27, 2010 Who: Family missions trip Approx. Cost: $1,300 Caribbean Mission Where: Dominican Republic When: July 9-16, 2010 Who: Family missions trip Approx. Cost: $1,600 Accra, Ghana Where: West Africa When: March 13-21, 2010 Who: Adult men only Approx. Cost: $2,700 X-Large Day Camp Where: Czech Republic When: July 10-20, 2010 Who: Adults Approx. Cost: $2,500 Kigali Where: Rwanda When: May 15-25, 2010 Approx. Cost: $3,500 Rio De Janiero Where: Brazil When: May 30-June 7, 2010 Who: Women only Approx. Cost: $1,800 Central Asia Where: Nepal When: October 18-26, 2010 Who: Men only Approx. Cost: $1,600 Nairobi Where: Kenya When: July 30- August 9, 2010 Approx. Cost: $2,500 LA Dream Center Where: Los Angeles, California When: March 13-20, 2010 Who: Family friendly Approx. Cost: $950 Varanasi and Sikkim Where: India When: November 5-17, 2010 18 or older Approx. Cost: $2,700 Seoul Where: South Korea When: June 17-27, 2010 Approx. Cost: $2,300 Kathmandu Where: Nepal When: October 15-27, 2010 Approx. Cost: $2,700 Jamisu Where: China When: September 15-25, 2010 Approx. Cost: $2,300
I N T E R N A T I O N A L V I S I O N Therefore go and make disciples China Where: China When: May 7-16 Approx. Cost: $2,600 Switch Motion Tour - Europe Where: Germany, France, Switzerland When: May 31-June 12, 2010 Who: Upcoming 8th grade, high school, and college age students. Approx. Cost: $2,250 Switch Motion Tour - South America Where: Brazil When: May 21-31, 2010 Who: College age students and graduating high school seniors Approx. Cost: $2,100 Switch Motion Tour Africa Where: South Africa When: June 14-29, 2010 Who: High school and college age students. Approx. Cost: $3,600 Switch Motion Tour Mexico Where: Mexico When: July 19-28, 2010 Who: Junior high, high school, college age students. (Must be 11 years of age or older.) Approx. Cost: $500 Switch Motion Tour Mexico Where: Mexico When: March 13-21, 2010 Who: Junior high, high school, college age students. (Must be 11 years of age or older.) Approx. Cost: $500 Switch Motion Tour China Where: China When: July 5-19, 2010 Who: High school and college students. (Must be at least 15 years of age or older.) Approx. Cost: $2,600 of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20
4700 Highlands Way Birmingham, AL 35210 205.980.5577 ChurchOfTheHighlands.com